Roseville, Florida, 1993
I sat on the couch, leaning forward with my eyes glued to the tv keenly. The news was on, showing a reporter out front of a grisly crime scene.
"The victim was found dead in her home with an estimate of over forty stab wounds in her chest and abdomen." The reporter said.
I grew nervous, anxiously fiddling with the hem of my shirt. This was most definitely not the first murder this town saw recently. This was just a new addition to the series of murders that had taken place here. The scariest part was that they all happened not too far from where I lived. And it was all because of one man. One man who was known as...
"The Ghost Face strikes again."
My front door creaked open then closed again. A shrill gasp left my lips as I jolted up in my seat. I tore myself from the couch as I heard heavy footsteps plod towards the living room. My body acted out on its own as I backed away, bumping up against the tv. The shadowed silhouette of a man soon stood in the doorway of the dark room.
I screamed in terror.
"Whoa! Hey, hey, hey!" He exclaimed.
My eyes were wide like saucers as I clutched my chest, feeling as if I was having a heart attack. I tried to calm my breathing. The man crept over to me, worry in his dark eyes.
It's not the Ghost Face. It's not the Ghost Face. You're fine. Everything's fine.
"It's just me!"
It was just Jed.
My boyfriend, Jed Olsen, set his hands on my shoulders.
"Hey, what's going on? Are you okay?" He asked.
I heaved, staring at him with pure dread on my face. Something flickered in his eyes at the expression. It was almost like a glint of delight.
"The Ghost Face—!" I blurted out.
Jed furrowed his brow, soon turning his attention to the tv behind me. It showed police and reporters at the poor girl who got butchered's house. The headline panned across the bottom of the screen, something almost prideful flickering again in Jed's eyes as he read it.
THE GHOST FACE: DEADLY AS EVER
"You scared me. I thought you were the—!" I clutched my heart again in another feeble attempt to steady my breathing.
"Hey," Jed stroked a strand of hair away from my face. "It's okay. He's not here, okay? He can't hurt you." He reassured gently.
"How do you know that? That murder was just three blocks away!" I squeaked in a shaky voice.
Jed's hand slipped away from my hair and onto my cheek, stroking it like a beloved child. I slowly but surely relaxed against his touch, legs still trembling in fear.
"Because I know. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe. I'll protect you." He smiled warmly.
It was sweet of Jed to say that, and I really liked him. But he was just a man, and the Ghost Face was a killer. So I was skeptic whether Jed could 'always protect me'. Plus, he was also the head journalist on the Ghost Face down at the gazette. What if he became a victim himself? The thought terrified me.
"Thank you, Jed."
I threw my arms around him shyly, resting my head on his shoulder to hide as I hugged him close. Jed pressed a tender kiss to my temple, wrapping his own arms around my waist.
"You're welcome, baby." I could hear the evil grin in his voice.
I closed my eyes and simply stood there against him, enjoying his company. Jed's arms held my waist closer protectively.
"I'm sorry for freaking out on you." I muttered in embarrassment.
"It's okay, honey. I understand. But trust me, you have nothing to worry about. I'll keep you safe." He chuckled softly.
"Thank you." I whispered again, not loosening my grip on him for a second.
Nothing to of worried about.
A few days later
"See ya!"
I waved at my friend's car as they honked and drove away. They had just dropped me off back at home after hanging out for a few hours. The full moon shone like a beacon in the night sky. I made my way to the front door, feeling like if I turned around, I'd spot a dark figure watching me from across the street. But then again, who didn't feel like that around here? You'd be weird not to, or you'd actually be the Ghost Face.
Anyway, I entered my home, closing and locking the door behind me. I dragged my tired feet towards my bedroom, walking past the living room. Suddenly I froze, my heart sinking deep into my belly. Through the darkness of the room, I could make out a dark figure with their back turned by the tv. My mind instantly screamed at me that it was the Ghost Face, but then quietly said it was just Jed. But then it said it was neither.
Neither?
The figure turned around, revealing himself to be a man in a black hoodie, who was just trying to steal my tv.
Okay, yeah. It was definitely neither.
Before I could even blink, the robber lunged at me. I screamed as he tackled me to the floor, holding me down.
"Let me go!" I cried, struggling to break free from under him.
"Shut up!" The robber snapped, bringing his fist down to my face.
He punched me in the jaw, the brute force throwing my head to the side. I instantly stopped fighting, nearly knocking unconscious from the blow. The robber brought his fist up a second time. Just as he was about to punch me again, he was roughly thrown off by someone. He hit the floor with a grunt, shock present on the both of our faces. I sprung into action, scrambling to my feet. Through my pounding head, I saw my saviour standing in the dark.
The Ghost Face!
I shrieked, backing up into the corner of the room. What the hell was going on?! The robber got up and charged the Ghost Face, punching him in the jaw like he did to me. The force of the blow caused his mask to come flying off his face, landing by my feet. I slid down the wall, staring in bewilderment at the ghostly mask before me. The Ghost Face had his back turned, only showing me the back of his short dark hair.
The unmasked Ghost Face unsheathed a knife, plunging it deep into the robber's chest. I screamed as I clutched the sides of my head in terror. The robber cried out in pain, crumbling to the floor. The Ghost Face yanked the knife out, blood gushing all over my living room floor. He straddled the other man's hips, thrusting the knife down more and more into his flesh. I hugged my knees close to my chest, rocking myself as I tried to block it all out.
The robber's cries fell silent as he took his final breath in the middle of my living room. The unmasked Ghost Face pulled his knife back out and stood over the body. He slid his gloved hand along the blade, ridding it of the blood. I kept my eyes trained on the back of his head, slowly reaching out to grab his mask. My legs wobbled as I shakily rose to my feet, getting hit with a whopping headache. I wanted to make a run for it, but I'd have to go past the Ghost Face in order to do so.
Speaking of which, he made no effort to move from where he loomed over the dead robber. I took a risky step forward, gripping his mask in my sweaty hands. The silence was deafening. I was trembling in fear, uncontrollable tears rolling down my cheeks though I didn't sob. I studied him through the darkness, his hair looking eerily familiar. I furrowed my brow, wondering why. It was nothing special. It was dark and cut short just like the next guy. I guessed that was what made serial killers so scary. They looked just like everyone else. They could be anyone you knew, even who you least suspected. Even a loved one, even...
Even...
I dropped the mask.
Even my boyfriend.
His hair soon wasn't familiar but the same hair I saw pretty much everyday. It was suddenly now Jed's hair. The tears kept falling, blurring my eyesight.
"Jed." I sobbed. The Ghost Face's shoulders tensed up as he turned his head ever so slightly. "It's you, isn't it?" I continued to cry.
His shoulders slackened before he dropped his knife by the body. He stepped over the robber, finally turning around to face me.
It was Jed.
He didn't meet my eyes. He looked like a child that had just been scolded by his mother. A bruise was forming on his jaw from where the robber punched him. When I came to think of it, I was sure I had one coming in too.
"Jed, why?" I whimpered. Jed slowly approached me with a frown present on his sunken face. "Jed, why?" I sobbed again. "Why did you do it?"
My body was wracked with sobs. I couldn't even back away or run as Jed stood in front of me. I flinched slightly when his gloved hands set on my shoulders. I looked into his eyes through blurred vision, not seeing a sliver of remorse for the lives he took within them. Only for me to find out it was him after all this time.
"My name is Danny." He whispered.
"What?" I whispered back.
"I'm sorry." He bowed his head in shame. "I lied to you. My name is Danny Johnson. I'm so sorry," he uttered my own name. "I never meant it to get this bad."
This bad? This bad?! There was a dead man in my living room!
"I don't understand." I sputtered.
'Danny' leaned in and pressed a desperate kiss to my teary cheek. When I didn't recoil, he did it again.
"I would never hurt you. I promise." He expressed.
I watched on in horror, not knowing what to do. When I didn't say anything back, Danny gripped my shoulders slightly harder.
He said my name again, "please. Please don't leave me. I'm sorry." He pleaded.
"Danny," I said barely above a whisper. Danny's brows raised as he gave a keen little nod at the sound of his real name. "Why haven't you killed me?"
There was a glint in Danny's eyes again. This time it wasn't evil or twisted. Okay, maybe it was still a little twisted. What I saw now... was love.
"Because I love you." Danny expressed.
My heart stopped, and so did my tears. He brushed some hair away from my face, stroking my cheek.
"Do you think you could've ever loved me back?" He asked.
I paused, taking in the loud silence. Something told me he already knew the answer. He didn't seem like the type of man who was stupid. I suddenly felt all shy as a blush crept up my neck.
"Of course I love you." I murmured quietly.
Danny frowned. I didn't think either of us knew why. He cupped my flushed face in his gloved hands, lovingly gazing at my features.
"Let's leave." He declared.
"What?" I asked.
"Let's leave this place. You and me. Let's get on the road and never turn back." Danny explained.
"Danny..."
"Please," he said my name in his deep voice. "I don't wanna lose you. You're the only woman I've ever cared about. I'm so in love with you."
I thought about it for a bit. I stole a glance at the robber, his blood all over my floor. I didn't really want to live here anymore after that. Maybe I should've gone with Danny. He did save me from that robber. I reached a shaky hand out, gently touching Danny's sunken face. His own hand touched mine, and he gently kissed it. I blushed brighter red at the action. Danny pressed himself into me, my back flush against the wall.
I threw my arms around his neck as he pulled me into a deep kiss. I stroked his leather shroud, feeling his fingers press harder into my waist. I was always very shy when we got like this, but Danny always guided me through it. He always knew what to do and say. That was why I loved him. I sheepishly broke the kiss, my cheeks still rosy.
"Let's go." I said.